Golden Child

My Descent to Scapegoat and Rise to Freedom

De: Lauren Smallcomb

Narrado por: Lauren Smallcomb

Not all that glitters is gold; not all who leave are lost.

The youngest daughter of devout conservative Christians, Lauren is the favored golden child. Her parents’ doting is rivaled only by her devotion to them; with an absent brother and rebellious sister, she knows her mother and father need her to be perfect, and for their happiness—their approval, their love—perfection is a small price to pay.

Until it bankrupts her.

While Lauren and her husband follow their faith into the complexities of adoption, missionary work overseas, and a new understanding of systemic racism in America, her parents embrace Christian Nationalism. A chasm opens between herself and her loved ones, and her golden, perfect identity is lost. Can it be regained? Does she want it back...or will she don the mantel of scapegoat and leave her gilded cage forever?

This coming-of-age memoir honors the tender pain of anyone whose perfect world has crashed around them, revealing the fractures built into the frame from the beginning. In an era when conversation about family estrangement is at an all-time high, Golden Child: My Descent to Scapegoat and Rise to Freedom offers hope, wisdom, and empowerment to those fleeing a broken family system in search of healing, freedom, and peace.

©2025 Lauren Smallcomb (P)2025 Lauren Smallcomb

Necessary read

I resonated so much with her book and story. Finished in 2 days! Finding my way through estrangement and moving forward in a world I never anticipated - knowing others have walked the *same* road doesn’t make me feel better, but it reminds me that I am not alone. We are seen, heard, understood and loved in a system that has shown us the opposite by people like Lauren telling their stories. This story shines a bright light on what so many people are going through currently with regard to politics and religion. Thank you for sharing your pain and wisdom with us. I will continue passing it along! -a Golden child

A beautiful and honest story of the grief of estrangement

This memoir hits home for those of us who grew up in the echo chamber of evangelicalism in America. Her honest and vulnerable account of awakening to the harsh truths of the church’s inextricable ties to racism and political power taps into the painful disillusionment and grief that many of us are experiencing in the aftermath of Trump’s rise to power. She speaks to the hope that can follow when we engage in the difficult work of rejecting dishonest harmony in family systems to pursue something more authentic and true. Her story of healing and self-connection is inspiring for those of us who are trying to unlearn the strangely paired messaging of our youth that reinforced self-abandonment, superiority, and also wretchedness.